Book launch

Lithosphere | Ben Walter

Ben Walter is a writer of fiction, essays, poetry, nature writing, journalism and experimental prose, living and working on Merlukerdee country in the Huon valley of Lutruwita/Tasmania. Over the last decade, Ben has been one of Australia’s most widely published writers of short stories.

Ben is a Walkley Award-winning essayist, and a past fiction editor at Island. Ben also curated Island’s Australian Nature Writing project, and was founding editor of the magazine’s online journal. Ben has curated two anthologies of Tasmanian fiction, and was assistant editor of The Abels V.1, a mountain climbing guide. Together with Jane Rawson, Ben edited Breathing Space, a collection of essays, stories and poems reflecting on Tasmanian relationships with nature.

Ben’s writing is forthcoming in The Kenyon Review (USA), and has previously appeared in Lithub (USA), 3:AM Magazine (France), The Cimarron Review (USA), Meanjin, Guardian Australia, Poetry Ireland Review, the ABC, Island, Overland, Dark Mountain (UK), New Australian Fiction, The Best Australian Science Writing, On this Ground: The Best Australian Nature Writing, The Saturday Paper, The Lifted Brow, Southerly, Australian Book Review, The Canary Press, The Canberra Times, The Big Issue, Westerly, Kill Your Darlings, The Review of Australian Fiction, Antipodes (USA), Cordite Poetry Review, Best Summer Stories (Black Inc.), Mascara Literary Review and Griffith Review. Ben’s fiction has been produced for Radio National.

Lithosphere is Ben Walter’s debut book of poetry; compelling and strange, Lithosphere explores our eccentric connections to the natural world the flora and fauna, water and wind that burst through the valleys and peaks of the lithosphere, the hard, rocky crust of the Earth that makes all life possible.

Driftwood groans towards the ocean, meadows of grass overrun a mountain, ruined teahouses serve up snow and the bushranger Rocky Whelan roars from his cave. With striking, shimmering language, Lithosphere delves into the peculiarities hidden in our relationship with the world outside.

Ben will be joined in conversation with Pete Hay, acclaimed Tasmanian writer of poetry, essays, reviews, and more.

Join Pete and Ben at The Afterword Café.